The Taming of the Shrew ballet inspired by the Shakespeare play. Music by Kurt-Heinz Stolze after Domenico Scarlatti. John Cranko choreography (created 1969) performed 2022 by the Stuttgart Ballet at the Stuttgart State Theatre. Stars Elisa Badenes (Katherina), Jason Reilly (Petruchio), Veronika Verterich (Bianca), Martí Fernández Paixà (Lucentio), Alessandro Giaquinto (Gremio), Fabio Adorisio (Hortensio), Angelina Zuccarini and Daiana Ruiz (Two Ladies of the Street), Rolando D’Alesio (Battista), and Matteo Crockard-Villa (Innkeeper/Priest). Wolfgang Heinz conducts the Orchestra of the State Theatre Stuttgart. Set and costume design by Elizabeth Dalton; artistic supervision by Reid Anderson. Disc includes an especially nice bonus extra with helpful discussion by members of the production team. Directed for TV by Michael Beyer. Released 2023, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A+
This is a sparkingly new production of one of the rarest creatures in the garden of the arts—a comic classical ballet. It follows closely the basic structure of Shakespeare’s war of wits and barbed tongues. But how do you do this with artists who don’t speak and women on point? Well, with brilliant acting, clever staging and props, vaudeville-style physical comedy, and every other trick in the book including even a juggling act with a lute . . .
Read MoreLeoncavallo Zazà opera to libretto by the composer and Carlo Zangarini. Directed 2020 by Christof Loy at the Theater an der Wien. Stars Svetlana Aksenova (Zazà), Enkelejda Shkosa (Anaide), Dorothea Herbert (Floriana / Madame Dufresne), Juliette Mars (Natalia), Nikolai Schukoff (Milio Dufresne), Vittoria Antonuzzo (Totò Dufresne), Christopher Maltman (Cascart), Tobias Greenhalgh (Bussy), Paul Schweinester (Courtois), Ivan Zinoviev (Duclou), Johannes Bamberger (Augusto / Concierge at Dufresne), Patrick Maria Kühn (A Gentleman); Ena Topčibašić (Claretta), Liliya Namisnyk (Simona), Anna Possarnig and Elias Morales (Two Spanish Dancers), Beatriz Delgardo Flores and Elvis Grezda (Two Clowns), Carina Nopp and Diego Federico (Two Artists), Lilo Besold (Dresser), and Fabio Coutinho (Fireman). Stefan Soltész conducts the ORF Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien and the Arnold Schoenberg Chor (Chorus Master Erwin Ortner). Set design by Raimund Orfeo Voigt; costume design by Herbert Barz-Murauer; lighting design by Reinhard Traub; choreography by Thomas Wilhelm; dramatic advisor was Klaus Bertisch. Directed for TV by Tiziano Mancini. Sung in Italian. Released 2021, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A+ with the 💓 designation.
Read MoreBruckner 11: The Complete Symphonies box set has the following works recorded by the Wiener Philharmoniker conducted by Christian Thielemann: Here is a list of the 11 works:
No. 0 in D minor “Nullte”
No. 1 in C minor
No. 2 in C minor
No. 3 in D minor “Wagner”
No. 4 in Eb major “Romantic”
No. 5 in Bb major
No. 6 in A major
No. 7 in E major
No. 8 in C minor
No. 9 in D minor
No. 00 in F minor “Study Symphony”
The gimmick here is that two incomplete works have been added to the 9 works usually considered to be the complete symphonies. All of this was issued earlier in 5 single Blu-ray discs. Now you can get all 5 in a single box for a savings. Never before was so much confusion created in the recording industry. See our Alphalist if you are interested in buying a particular symphony—we have 5 earlier titles listed there as they came out earlier . . .
Read MoreHandel Giulio Cesare in Egitto (Julius Caesar in Egypt) opera to libretto by Nicola Francesco Haym. Directed 2021 by Keith Warner at the Theater an der Wien. Stars Bejun Mehta (Giulio Cesare), Louise Adler (Cleopatra), Christopher Dumaux (Tolomeo), Patricia Bardon (Cornelia), Jake Arditti (Sesto), Simon Bailey (Achilla), Konstantin Derri (Nireno), and Joni Österlund (Pompeo). Ivor Bolton conducts Concentus Musicus Wien. Set and costume design by Ashley Martin-Davis; lighting design by Mark Jonathan; choreography by Mandy Demetriou; video design by David Haneke; co-stage director was Katharina Kastening; co-set designer was Jeremy Daker. Directed for TV by Tiziano Mancini. Sung in Italian. Released 2022, disc has dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreBeethoven Missa solemnis concert. Performed 2021 at the Salzburg Festival. Riccardo Muti conducts the Wiener Philharmoniker and the Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor (Chorus Master Ernst Raffelsberger). Soloists are Rosa Feola (soprano), Alisa Kolosova (contralto), Dmitry Korchak (tenor), and Ildar Abdrazakov (bass). Directed for TV by Michael Beyer. Sung in German. Released 2022, disc has 5.0 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
I associate Michael Beyer strongly with the dread disease of DVDitis. The trailer below does not have even 1 clear whole-orchestra shot. This strongly suggests that this disc will be another colossal disappointment for discerning fans of classical music in Blu-ray format . . .
Read MoreAlfredo Catalini La Wally opera to libretto by Luigi Illica. Directed 2021 by Barbora Horáková Joly at the Theater and der Wien. Stars Izabela Matula (Wally), Leonardo Capalbo (Giuseppe Hagenbach), Jacques Imbailo (Vincenzo Gellner), Ilona Revolskaya (Walter), Alastair Miles (Stromminger), Zoltán Nagy (Il Pedone), and Sofia Vinnik (Afra). Andrés Orozco-Estrada conducts the Wiener Symphoniker and the Arnold Schoenberg Chor (Chorus Master Erwin Ortner). Set and costume design by Eva-Maria Van Acker; video design by Tabea Rothfuchs; lighting design by Michael Bauer; dramatic advisor was Bettina Auer. Directed for TV by Tiziano Mancini. Sung in Italian. Released 2022, disc has 5.1 Dolby Digital sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreHandel Saul oratorio (tagged opera here) to libretto by Charles Jennens. Directed 2021 by Claus Guth at the Theater and der Wien. Stars Florean Boesch (Saul), Jake Arditti (David), Anna Prohaska (Merab), Giulia Semenzato (Michal), Rupert Charlesworth (Jonathan), David Webb (Abner / High Priest / Doeg), Rafał Tomkiewicz (Witch of Endor), and Andrew Morstein (Amalekite). Christopher Moulds conducts the Freiburger Barockorchester and the Arnold Schoenberg Chor (Chorus Master Erwin Ortner). Set and costume design by Christian Schmidt; lighting design by Bernd Purkrabek; choreography by Ramses Sigl; video design by Arian Andiel; dramatic advisor was Yvonne Gebauer. Directed for TV by Tiziano Mancini. Sung in English. Released 2022, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreProkofiev The Fiery Angel opera to libretto by the composer. Directed 2021 by Andrea Breth at the Theater an der Wien. Stars Aušrinė Stundytė (Renata), Bo Skovhus (Ruprecht), Natascha Petrinsky (Hostess of the Inn / Abbess), Elena Zaremba (Fortune Teller), Nikolai Schukoff (Agrippa von Nettesheim / Mephistopheles), Alexey Tikhomirov (Inquisitor), Markus Butter (Mathias / Faust), Andrew Owens (Jakob Glock / A Doctor), and Kristján Jóhannesson (innkeeper / A Servant). Constantin Trinks conducts the ORF Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien and the Arnold Schoenberg Chor (Chorus Master Erwin Ortner). Set design by Martin Zehetgruber; costume design by Carla Teti; light design by Alexander Koppelmann; dramatic advisor was by Antonio Cuenca Ruiz. Directed for TV by Tiziano Mancini. Sung in Russian. Released 2022, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreStanisław Moniuszko Halka opera to libretto by Włódzimierz Wolski. Directed 2019 by Mariusz Treliński at the Theater an der Wien. Stars Corinne Winters (Halka), Tomasz Konieczny (Janusz), Piotr Beczała (Jontek), Alexey Tikhomirov (Stolnik), Natalia Kawałek (Zofia), Łukasz Jakobski (Dziemba), Sreten Manojlović (Dudziarz), and Paul Schweinsester (Góral). Łukasz Borowicz conducts the ORF Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien and the Arnold Schoenberg Chor (Chorus Master Erwin Ortner). Set design by Boris Kudlička; costume design by Dorothée Roqueplo; lighting design by Marc Heinz; video design by Bartek Macias; choreography by Tomasz Jan Wygoda; hair and make up design by Łukasz Pycior; dramatic advisor was Piotr Gruszczyński. Directed for TV by Tiziano Mancini. Sung in Polish. Released 2022, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreWagner Wesendonck Lieder and Bruckner Symphony No. 4 ("Romantic"). In 2020, Christian Thielemann conducts the Wiener Philharmoniker at the Großes Festspielhaus as part of the Salzburg Festival. Features vocalist Elīna Garanča. Sung in German. Directed for TV by Michael Beyer. Released 2021, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Both Wagner and Bruckner wrote big music. To add variety, this program includes 5 substantial songs by Wagner (relatively light) that are considered to be studies for Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde opera . . .
Read MorePablo Picasso at Pompeii. Features two ballets: Parade, with pre-recorded music by Satie, runs about 24 minutes; Pulcinella, with pre-recorded music by Stravinsky, runs about 36 minutes. Directed 2017 by Eleonara Abbagnato at the ancient outdoor Roman Theater at Pompeii. Choreography by Léonide Massine (father) revived by Lorca Massine (son). Stars the Corps de Ballet of the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma. Set designs by Pablo Picasso reconstructed by Maurizio Varamo. Costumes by Picasso reconstructed by Anna Biagiotti. Lighting by Mario De Amicis. Directed for TV by Paolo Santioni. No keepcase booklet. Stravinsky’s score for Pulcinella includes parts for soprano, tenor, and bass. Subtitles selected by remote control (not a menu). Released 2021, disc has PCM stereo sound. Grade: A
This show harks back to World War I when Picasso and Jean Cocteau visited Italy to work on the Parade ballet for impresario Diaghilev of the famed Ballet Russes. Parade premiered in Paris in 1917. Far ahead of its time, the original created scandal. Undaunted, Diaghilev premiered Pulcinella in Rome in 1920 with similar forces.
I get the impression that neither Parade nor Pulcinella has been regularly performed. But in 2017, the Italian Ministry of Culture decided . . .
Read MoreHandel Ariodante opera to a libretto by an anonymous author. Directed 2017 by Christof Loy at the Haus für Mozart as part of the Salzburg Festival. Stars Cecilia Bartoli (Ariodante), Nathan Berg (King of Scotland), Kathryn Lewek (Ginevra), Rolando Villazón (Lurcanio), Christophe Dumaux (Polinesso), Sandrine Piau (Dalinda), and Kristofer Lundin (Odoardo). Also stars dancers William John Banks, Christopher Basile, Andrew Cummings, Chris Agius Darmanin, Rouven Pabst, Glauber Silva, Rory Stead, and Jack Widdowson. Gianluca Capuano conducts Les Musiciens du Prince - Monaco and the Salzburger Bachchor (Chorus Master Alois Glassner). Set design by Johannes Leiacker; costume design by Ursula Renzenbrink; lighting design by Roland Edrich; choreography by Andreas Heise; dramatic advisor was Klaus Bertisch. Directed for TV by Tiziano Mancini. Sung in Italian. Released 2021, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A+
Read MoreMassenet Thaïs to a libretto by Louis Gallet. Directed 2021 by Peter Konwitschny at the Theater an der Wien. Stars Nicole Chevalier (Thaïs), Josef Wagner (Athanaël), Roberto Saccà (Nicias), Carolina Lippo (Crobyle), Sofia Vinnik (Myrtale/Albine), Güneş Gürle (Paléman), and Samuel Wegleitner (Amor). Leo Hussain conducts the ORF Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien and the Arnold Schoenberg Chor (Chorus Master Erwin Ortner). Set and costume design by Johannes Leiacker; lighting design by Guido Petzold. Directed for TV by Tiziano Mancini. Sung in French. Released 2021, disc has dts-HD Master Audio 5.1 sound. Grade NA
Read MoreRameau Platée opera to a libretto by Adrien-Joseph Le Valois d'Orville. Directed 2020 by Robert Carsen at the Theater an der Wien. Stars Marcel Beekman (Platée), Jeanine De Bique (La Folie), Cyril Auvity (Mercure/Thespis), Marc Mauillon (Momus /Cithéron), Edwin Crossley-Mercer (Jupiter), Emmanuelle de Negri (Amour/Clarine), Emile Renard (Junon), Ilona Revolskaya (Thalie), and Padraic Rowan (Mommuss/Satyre). William Christie conducts Les Arts Florissants and the Arnold Schoenberg Chor (Chorus Master Erwin Ortner). Set and costume design by Gideon Davey; lighting design by Robert Carsen and Peter van Praet; choreography by Nicholas Paul; dramatic advisor was Ian Burton. Directed for TV by Davide Mancini. Sung in French. Released 2021, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
Read MoreHugo von Hofmannsthal Jedermann play. Directed 2020 by Michael Sturminger on the Domplatz at the Salzburg Festival. Stars Peter Lohmeyer (Stimme des Herrn [Voice of God] / Tod [Death]/ Der Spielansager[Announcer]), Tobias Moretti (Jedermann [Everyman]), Edith Clever (Jedermann’s Mutter [Everyman’s mother]), Gregor Bloéb (Jedermann’s guter Gesell [Everyman’s good companion]), Markus Kofler (Der Koch [The cook]), Helmut Mooshammer (Ein armer Nachbar[A poor neighbor]), Michael Masula (Ein Schuldknecht [Debt servant]), Pauline Knof (Weib Des Schuldknechts [Debt servant’s wife]), Caroline Peters (Buhlschaft [Lover]), Gustav Peter Wohler (Dicker Vetter [Fat cousin]), Tino Hillebrand (Dünner Vetter [Thin cousin]), Christoph Franken (Mammon), Mavie Hörbiger (Werke [Good Deeds]), Falk Rockstroh (Glaube [Faith]), and actors from Ensemble 013. Set and costume design by Renate Martin and Andreas Donhauser; composition by Wolfgang Miterer; conductor was Jaime Wolfson; choreography by Andreas Heise and Joe Monaghan; lighting design by Stefan Ebelsberger and Hubert Schwaiger; video design by Jakob Barth; dramatic advisor was Angela Obst. Directed for TV by André Turnheim. Spoken in German, with subtitles in German and English only. Released 2021, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
This the the first play published in Blu-ray other than Shakespeare. True, theater critics don’t hold Jedermann in particularly high regard—some consider it more of a pageant than a play. But we have been frustrated for years by the dearth of plays in Blu-ray, so this inspires us to review this Jedermann as a start!
Read More